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Rheims
| | Posted on Monday, January 22, 2001 - 4:42 pm: |     |
I can no longer read about the reval, although I look forward to tomorrow night's scene at the high school.
So I would like to propose a change of topics, a recess, if you will, to one equally compelling: the Oscars.
Have there been any pictures or performances worthy of the king of tchotchkes? Surely last night's People's Choice Awards (nee The Golden Globes) are no longer any real measure. I loved "Gladiator," but is that it for movies? Is the funny, if too pat "Almost Famous" a worthy contender? If Goldie Hawn of all people can win an Oscar, can her daughter too, and if she does, will Kurt Russell's Oscar soon follow? If Julia Roberts wins, will her breasts get two awards of their own, just as Disney's dwarves got seven? Will "Quills" win and show that Hollywood loves a sexual predator as long as the movie's artsy (cf. "American Beauty")? Does "Castway" have anything going for it besides Tom Hanks--and will that volleyball be eligible for a Best Supporting Actor nod? Does "Billy Elliot," that is, "October Sky" With Tutus, that is, Not Quite the Full Monty, stand a deritive's chance in hell, even though it is charming and well-acted? And if the tiger crouches and the dragon hides, what does Oscar do?
I invite the new mayor, the mayor-once-was, and the rest of the TC to join. |
Eliz
| | Posted on Monday, January 22, 2001 - 5:21 pm: | |
Thanks for the change of pace - can those besides the TC join in?
You left out my pick for Best Picture - Traffic. I was very happy to see Benicio Del Toro win.
I thought this was one of the most compelling, interesting movies I have seen inyears. |
Rheims
| | Posted on Monday, January 22, 2001 - 6:05 pm: | |
Anyone can join, Eliz.
Traffic? I haven't seen it yet. But I hear it's good, if depressing, and Steve Winwood is supposed to be amazing.
(just kidding) |
New2so
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 23, 2001 - 10:35 am: | |
Did you see Liz Taylor at the end of the Golden Globes? How terribly sad - she clearly does not have all her faculties any longer. Someone should have taken pity on her and not put her on national television - I can't imagine she would want the public to remember her that way. |
Eliz
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 23, 2001 - 10:47 am: | |
I know!!!! I was hiding behind a pillow in embarrassment for her - I couldn't bear to watch that humiliation!
Fortunately the press seems to have cut her some slack - I watched "extra" last night (ok I'm shallow - I like to see the fashion reviews...) and nary a word about it unless I missed something. |
Mlj
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 23, 2001 - 11:26 am: | |
I think Dick Clark and his people were running the show and should have used better judgment regarding Liz. I think the reason he had her do this award presentation was her representation of the glam, old Hollywood, but she could have co-presented to take the presssure off. It reminds me of when Betty Davis came out at the Academy Awards some years ago to present the best picture award, and just opened the envelope and read the winner without announcing the nominees.
Traffic looks interesting, but very violent. I like Michael Douglas as an actor (but strikes me as a bit of an ******* on a personal level when interviewed, and here he is married to Catherine Z-J who is so gorgeous she makes my eyes hurt). I rented Gladiator (braced myself for the violence) and was surprised by how good it was, especially Russell Crowe. No interest in seeing Almost Famous. Heard that Castaway is for people who love Tom Hanks (isn't that everyone?). Also heard it is like a big FedEx commercial. Heard the movie from Taiwan (I forget title) was quite good.
Eliz, I always enjoy the fashion show too. This entertainment stuff is a guilty pleasure. (Of course, we do this in between readings of Shakespeare and Harold Bloom, or watching public television.) |
Rheims
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 23, 2001 - 11:42 am: | |
I saw Liz on Larry "No, Really, I'm a Serious Journalist" King, and she was clearly beyond help. Just a crazy old woman laughing at her own inscrutable jokes, she was like the evil twin of Martha from "Who's Afraid..." |
Eliz
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 23, 2001 - 12:03 pm: | |
mlj - I actually didn't find the violence in Traffic that bad (I tried to watch Gladiator on a flight to the west coast but couldn't stomach the first scene at 9am in the morning before my second cup of coffee - I will try again on DVD at home...). The hardest thing to watch in Traffic was MD's daughter's drug use and downward spiral.
I know , MD kinda gives me the heebie jeebies - did you hear that they asked their wedding guests in lieu of gifts to contribute to a trust fund for their child???? Talk about tacky.
Have to say I loved Almost Famous (as well as High Fidelity another of my faves from 2000)
Next on my list is - Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.
I think reading People magazine whilst listening to NPR cancels the whole guilty pleasure thing - doncha agree?
Poor Liz: someone should arrest her publicist or agent or whoever is letting her out of the house/hospital/rehab wherever she currently lives.
Also what about Robert Downey Jr - I was always very sympathetic until Sunday - he seemed a little flippant. Still think he's a great actor. |
Mlj
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 23, 2001 - 12:18 pm: | |
Wow, MD is even more of a you-know-what than I thought. I do want to see High Fidelity.
Robert D. Jr. - I thought he was brilliant in Chaplin. I have tremendous sympathy for him since I believe his doofus parents apparently invited him to join in while partying on drugs, and gave him marijuana at about age 7. |
Flugermongers
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 23, 2001 - 5:30 pm: | |
Wow, stop pickin' on Liz Taylor, what do looks mean? It would be great for people to remember her that way, old, and lovin' it! Was she supposed to go into hiding at the first sign of wrinkles? Or would that be surgery according to you people? After the peak of beauty are they no longer suitable for the public's eye? Or anyone for that matter? Well...you have a lot to learn. People get old, people aren't always beautiful on the outside anyway, but a human should be treated as such, and in my book, looks do not count for much. Once glamorous stars should not stop having the limelight shone on them simply because they are not as glamorous as they once were. You sound like the tabloids; any of you work for the Enquirer? Kudos to Elizabeth, she is a wonderful actress and a golden wonder  |
Eliz
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 23, 2001 - 5:33 pm: | |
Flugermongers - Did you see her on the Golden Globes??? It had nothing to do with looks (she looked great for however old she is) it had to do with marbles or the lack of them. She had no clue what she was doing and was completely adrift - Dick Clark had to come out and rescue her. Then after she finally read the nominee names off the TelePrompter she said puzzled "it keeps flashing 'envelope'?"
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Flugermongers
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 23, 2001 - 5:38 pm: | |
oh really? geez, i apologize, i thought you were talking about looks, well, it is always sad when something like that happens, but she is still out there, just like like Muhammed Ali, he dropped the ball this year. I'm sorry for the confusion, haha PS, don't jump to conclusions |
Ejt
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 23, 2001 - 8:04 pm: | |
Will someone please explain what Liz did?! I did my usual nod off in the middle and actually missed something! A writer in the Ledger made a reference to her not taking her meds!
(She was great in "A Place In The Sun" with Montgomery Clift...so was he..love those "Adirondacks"!;) |
Shh
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 23, 2001 - 8:28 pm: | |
Poor Liz. She really seemed off. No, she didn't look that bad-- no more plastic than any other 65+ star-- but she just really seemed out of it. Confused at best.
Only saw one movie this year, CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON, and it was incredibly beautiful. We left the theater feeling totally euphoric. Good movie for post-theater romance, if you ask me.
Tom Hanks' acceptance speech made me cry, almost. Julia Roberts looked great, but was really giddy. I'm totally not begrudging her-- Mr. Bratt must be making her really happy! (Didn't see the film, so I have no idea how she was.) Robert Downey Jr made me feel really uncomfortable and sorry for him. I really don't think he could handle this.
Missed the first hour and a half, so I can't really comment on the clothes too much, but a normally tastefully dressed Charlize Theron surprised me by swaying from her usual Vera Wang and wearing something sort of S+M'ish. Glad to see a young starlet sans breast implants, however. |
Eliz
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 23, 2001 - 11:22 pm: | |
ejt - Re liz - she was presenting the best picture - she looked like she just landed stunned on the stage and first off proceeded to start opening the envelope - the audience started shouting read the nominees and she just stood there like a deer in the headlights - she literally had no clue what to do and was giggling. Dick Clark came out and reminded her she had to read the nominees which she proceeded to do. Then she stood there forgetting to open the envelope - which is when she said "why is it flashing envelope". And then people from the audience were saying read the envelope - read the winner. She finally realized and read the winner - Gladiator.
You ever have those moments when you can't bear someone else's embarassment? It was like that. |
Rheims
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 24, 2001 - 9:54 am: | |
For those of you want to see High Fidelty, I would recommend it, but I would recommend the book even more. The movie's somewhat more mean-spirited, plus the book has the many lists written out for extended contemplation.
Erin Brokavich is only OK. If you've read A Civil Action, you'll think it's just a pale shadow of that book. I haven't seen the movie of ACA, so I can't compare the two, but the book is so great I can't imagine the movie could have improved it much. |
Nohero
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 24, 2001 - 10:12 am: | |
... plus, High Fidelity has a cameo appearance by Bruce Springsteen. Just thought I'd toss that in.
Remember all the movies, Terry, we'd go see
Trying to learn how to walk like the heroes we thought we had to be |
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